A federal judge’s Friday ruling has created a fresh layer of eligibility chaos in college sports, and for Oklahoma, it at least opens the door for three former Sooners to come back for a fifth season.
The ruling affects athletes from the 2022 recruiting class who just completed their fourth year of eligibility this past season. Under the NCAA’s new “five-in-five” framework, those players would have been looking at five seasons to play over a five-year span, with the rule originally set to take effect with the 2027 recruiting class. But the court decision changed the timeline, and now athletes in that group can pursue one more year right away.
That includes players who finished their college careers without ever redshirting. In theory, any athlete in that bucket could apply for another season in college and likely get it.
For Oklahoma, that creates a possible path back for three members of the 2025 roster who fit the criteria after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Marvin Jones Jr. is one of them. He spent one season with the Sooners after transferring from Florida State, and before that he was at Georgia.
Jones started nine games at defensive end for what was Oklahoma’s deepest position in 2025, and he would have been in line to start again in 2026. Brent Venables likes to rotate heavily on the edge, and Jones would have given OU another proven piece there after signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
Damonic Williams is another name now caught up in the ruling. He left college with 50 career starts split between Oklahoma and TCU, then signed with the Arizona Cardinals after going undrafted.
If he had returned, he would have added another starter to the interior of an already loaded defensive line. Juniors Jayden Jackson and David Stone already have the starting tackle spots locked down and Stone is already viewed as a first-round prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Williams would have given the Sooners even more high-end depth inside, though it would also have created a roster squeeze with those younger players.
Then there’s Jaydn Ott, who technically fits the same window, even if the idea of him coming back seems unlikely. He might actually be the one who could benefit most from an extra season after a rough lone year in Norman that hurt his draft stock.
Ott rushed for only 68 yards on 21 carries and appeared in just seven games for Oklahoma last season, after solid two-year production and an injury-plagued 2024 at Cal. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent and reunited with former running backs coach DeMarco Murray, but the backfield is crowded and his path to a 53-man roster looks thin.
For now, the ruling simply gives those three players an option they didn’t have before. Whether any of them actually use it is another story.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Added A 2028 Opponent Amid More Schedule Chaos
Oklahomas 2028 non-conference slate is already taking shape, and it now includes a game against Missouri State alongside home dates with Temple and Colorado State and a road trip to Houston. The Sooners have been steadily filling out future schedules, and the list of opponents already stretches well beyond that season, with Utah State, San Diego State, SMU, Nebraska and Clemson all appearing on the calendar through 2036.
Still, the full picture for 2028 is not settled. Financial considerations could force Oklahoma to trim the schedule, with Temple or Colorado State potentially the game that gets dropped, so the Sooners are not yet locked into all four non-conference matchups. It is another reminder that even with the long-range planning in place, the business side of scheduling can still reshape what the Sooners ultimately play. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Could Be Sitting On A Jersey Patch Game Changer
Oklahomas next move in the revenue game could be as visible as it is lucrative. Athletic director Roger Denny confirmed the school is exploring a sponsored jersey patch, a step that would put the Sooners in the same growing lane as recent high-profile deals at Ohio State and Notre Dame. With Oklahomas reach across multiple sports and a national profile that still carries plenty of brand value, the possibility has become more than just a theoretical exercise.
Denny, though, is making clear that the university does not want to force the issue just to be first. The Sooners are taking a deliberate approach and weighing the long-term fit of any corporate partnership, which means the patch may be coming, but not on a hurried timeline. For a program that understands both the business and the optics of these decisions, the challenge is finding the deal that feels worthwhile enough to wear every time the jerseys take the field. [Read more 🡒]
OU Just Got A Massive Special Teams Edge For 2026
Oklahomas special teams picture for 2026 is starting to look unusually stable, and that matters on a roster that has been leaning on consistency wherever it can find it. Redshirt senior Tate Sandell is back after winning the Lou Groza Award and setting program records, choosing another year in Norman instead of heading to the NFL Draft, while punter Grayson Miller returns after earning all-SEC first-team honors. With Isaiah Sategna also back as the punt returner, the Sooners enter the offseason with rare continuity in the kicking game.
There is still a little sorting out left, though, especially in the punting competition. Miller is set to battle Jacob Ulrich for the starting job as Ulrich works back from a hamstring injury, and Oklahoma has also added running back Lloyd Avant as a possible kickoff-return option. For a team trying to sharpen every edge before 2026, special teams may end up being one of the easiest places to gain it. [Read more 🡒]